Shadow Dogma
by NitoriOhi
Summary: When Shen, the Eye of Twilight, dies in a futile effort to protect Ionia from the Void, Akali does the unthinkable: She becomes Zed's protégée, surrendering herself to the forbidden dogma of the Shadow she once fought against. With grim resolve, she seeks the blood of every single Voidborn scattered in Runeterra, a grisly task that will soon reveal ugly truths... - ZedxAkali
1. Prologue: Balance's fall

**_Long synopsis:_** _All her life, Akali has been a staunch adherent of the Kinkou order's doctrine of balance. However, when Noxus and Demacia fall to a terrifying invasion from the Void, Akali realizes that the Order's doctrine is flawed._  
 _She secretly begins studying the forbidden Art of Shadow, like Zed before her. But when terror strikes the heart of Ionia, Akali hesitates to use the forbidden power - and Shen dies because of it. Her hesitation turns into guilt - which turns into ire and bloodlust, vowing to slay every single Void creature._  
 _._  
 _Zed has never believed in anything - except in his own lust for power and revenge. He cares not much for the Void's invasion invasion of Runeterra, believing himself to be strong enough to fend off every single one of them. But he is forced to flee from his own order after his disciples, one by one, are consumed._  
 _Sensing her terrifying power, Zed saves Akali at the last moment before she, like Shen, is killed by Cho'Gath._  
 _._  
 _Amidst ruins after ruins, Zed and Akali are, once more, each other's closest ally. Struggling with their pasts, they must fight to uncover who unleashed the Void upon Runeterra._

.

 _The Void._

Until recent years ago, no one had known it existed. Its creatures were rather frightening, to say the least. And powerful, no doubt. Truly, these creatures were an enigma. Every nation and city-state - Demacia and Noxus, especially - sought to use the power of the Void for their own benefits. Thinking they could _control_ such power. Utterly foolish.

The creatures invaded Noxus, the first city-state to seek the Void's power, and completely consumed all its inhabitants, leaving the former glory of the city-state in ruins. Then, Demacia shared that same fate.

On that terrible day, all - human, yordle and darkin alike - witnessed the terror at the hands of the Void;

And the humiliation of being its creatures' _prey_.

* * *

 **Prologue: Balance's fall  
**

* * *

"… _Most kingdoms…fallen….."_

"… _.devoured…"_

"… _.brink…Ionia…"_

"Akali, what do you think we should do?" the voice, belonging to Shen – the Eye of Twilight – asked neutrally, but with a tint of worry and nervousness; something unexpected from the Eye of Twilight himself.

"Akali…?"

She did not respond. He inspected her more closely – her hands were clenched into fists, her head sunk down, and her body was shaking faintly.

Her head shot up in surprise, searching for Shen's ever-glowing eyes. Her breath hitched, her body tensed up even more. "I'm… sorry… Shen.. I…" Struggling to explain herself, she refused to meet Shen's gaze.

"This is unlike you, Fist of Shadow..." he commented neutrally, "Where is your attentiveness today? Our home is in danger."

"Yes… I know, Shen. I apologize." Penitently, she turned her attention towards discussing how to fend off the new, terrifying threat that was endangering all of Ionia.

" _I'm sorry, Shen…"_

* * *

The night had come.

Everything was quiet and peaceful, slumbering. But not Akali. She knew this peace would not last very long; a _false_ peace, it was.

Making sure Shen and the Kinkou's disciples were all asleep, Akali got up and walked away, sneakily and stealthily. She regarded Shen with a guilty stare, her eyes reeking of pain and guilt.

She shook her head. No, it had to be done. It _had_ to. For the sake of their home.

Akali quietly slid the wooden door shut and walked outside, shivering as the cold, nightly wind brushed her skin. She suppressed her discomfort and arduously walked south, towards an old and abandoned house within the Kinkou grounds.

"Shen…" she murmured to herself, looking back to where she had just left.

Ardously, she continued to walk; there was not a moment where she did not think of Shen, the order, or the future of her home, or even all of Valoran.

There she stood; her destination.

"Archives of the Kinkou Order", it read on the wooden entrance, carved into the door. Akali's breath quickened, as did her heartbeat; it surprised her that she even had the audacity to do such a thing.

Akali slid the wooden door open and lit the lamp. Carefully, she walked around, gazing at all kinds of documents the order had in their possession: The history of Ionia, ancient ninja techniques, spiritual books, papers about the order's doctrine of balance – back, way back, carefully hidden in a dark corner, she found the dark scrolls she searched for.

She gulped, feeling a lump was in her throat; she could not believe she was really doing this. She walked towards the scrolls, touching them, holding them carefully, wanting to lift them up – but her body did not obey her. There was still a figment of hesitation in her, yelling 'Stop!' inside her mind, over and over again.

'It has to be done.' Akali firmly shot back inside her mind, trying to placate her fears and guilt. 'It _has_ to.'

With that finality, Akali lifted up the biggest dark scroll and placed it onto the ground, rolling it open. Grimly she inspected the words written upon it.

" _Introduction into the Art of Shadow"_

Unbeknownst to her, a small shadow was watching her.

"Forgive me, Shen… _forgive me…._ "

* * *

"W-what…."

"They're here."

Akali looked at Shen in utter terror and disbelief. When did the Void advance _this far_?

"They.. they couldn't have…" she managed to breathe out, looking at the ground, utter terror and fear shaking her inmost being. Akali had fought many battles, as did Shen. But _this…_ this was something entirely different.

"How are we supposed to fight them, Shen!?", she suddenly yelled at him in desperation. The Eye of Twilight did not answer. "If they overran even the best warriors of Ionia, guarding the Elders… then we..-"

"Do not succumb to despair, Akali." Shen reminded her in a warning tone. "We will find a way to fight them – we will not succumb like Demacia and Noxus did."

Akali gulped. "Y-yes, Shen." With the knowledge she had amassed nights before, she _could_ fight the Void monsters. But she doubted herself. The forbidden arts were very new for her, and she was lacking the willpower to not succumb to their very darkness. She wondered how Zed was able to subdue the power – surely he was more talented than she.

"AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!"

"What in the-"

"AKALI!" Shen yelled, pushing her away from him as stony spikes pierced Shen's legs.

"SHEN!" she screamed, inhaling sharply, activating her signature technique – her Twilight Shroud. Her breaths were quick and shallow, struggling to support Shen; she knew she had to think _very_ quickly. "Wait, that technique-"

It dawned upon her. The only one capable of making spikes appear from the ground in a circle was-

"Cho'Gath." she hissed under her breath. The Terror of the Void smashed the door open with his monstrous head and laughed manically before the two Kinkou ninjas.

"Akali…" Shen breathed, throwing a blade into the Void monster as he struggled to get on his feet. A green aura engulfed Shen and the wounds on his legs started to close. He still breathed shallowly, but felt secure enough to dash towards Cho'Gath and taunt him. He also activated his shield and slashed repeatedly into the body of his foe.

Akali felt another presence near Cho'Gath; she realized that he didn't come alone. The ground began to rumor loudly, shaking and reeling. Shen was busy dodging Cho'Gath's following ruptures with his dashes.

Another creature burst from the ground, hissing loudly and monstrously as it threw Shen in the air again, biting him whilst Cho'Gath unleashed his feral scream. Akali could only watch in terror. Fighting two of these creatures?

'Do something.'

'Do something.'

'DO SOMETHING!'

Akali shut her eyes. The inner voice screamed inside her head. But she could only watch as the two Void monsters beat up the Kinkou's strongest ninja. He fought back the best he could, using all of his techniques to injure the monsters, but they proved to be very overwhelming.

"A….kali…" Shen whispered behind him, sensing his comrade's inner turmoil. "Get… away…"  
"Shen, no!" she yelled in refusal. "I can't leave you behind like this…"

Akali desperately prayed to all gods that this wouldn't be the end of them. She could only watch with panic in her eyes as Shen received blow after blow, letting out sounds of pain – not even his signature taunts seemed to do much to turn the tide to his favor.

'What do I do… what do i…' The scroll sprung up in her mind.

' _Use it.'_ her inner voice spoke again.

'N-no, I can't possibly- not in front of Shen..'

' _Use it._ '

'I have no mastery over this! Shen could die..'

' _Use it.'_

"AAAAAAGHH!" a scream snapped Akali out of her agonizing 'conversation' with her inner voice.

"Shen, no- SHEEEEEEEN!"

He fell down harshly, his blood staining the ground. Akali, with panic in her eyes, dashed towards her friend, absolutely mortified at the wound in Shen's chest.

"Aka…li.." he struggled to say her name. He looked inside her eyes, his own vision blurry and weak; he noticed that tears fell from her cheeks onto his hand, which she was firmly holding.

"Shen… why…" She was struggling to speak. Her voice was tearing up, sounding incoherent as she sobbed.

"I'm… sorry.. Akali…" he managed to get out, interrupted by his sudden cough of blood. "I…"

"No, Shen.. you… you can't- you can't!" Horrified, Akali realized what was about to happen; Her friend Shen, the Eye of Twilight, was in his final moments.

"Akali… I… love-" he couldn't finish. His heartbeat gave out.

"Shen… Shen… wake up.. SHEN!" She shook him, slapped his face in futile attempts to wake him. "Shen… Shen.. Shen.. Shen.." Like a mantra, she repeated his name over and over and over again; the fangs of despair slowly engulfed her.

" _Shen, I would like to introduce you to someone." the voice, belonging to Shen's father, said softly. The young boy interrupted his solitary training and walked towards his father with an eyebrow raised._

" _You may enter." Shen's father directed his voice towards the wooden door, which promptly opened at that command._

 _Shen immediately noticed a young, nervous and somewhat apathetic girl, having her hair tied up in a ponytail, wearing a green kimono and having her gaze averted from Shen and his father._

" _I… I am Akali… inductee to the Kinkou Order." the girl spoke nervously, still averting her gaze from Shen. She bowed respectfully before him and his father, but it was apparent that she was not doing so freely._

 _Young Shen walked towards the frightened girl and gently patted her on the head. "It's nice to meet you, Akali. My name is Shen, the future Eye of Twilight."_

 _Right on cue, Akali made eye contact with him, still looking nervously at him. She forced a small smile on her lips and giggled._

' _Hesitation is the seed of defeat.'_ Akali narrowed her eyes in ire. Her inner voice was mocking her, that much was clear. _'You had the power to save him. And you didn't.'_

'No.. no, I didn't..' she defended herself.

' _Did you search for the Forbidden Arts, only to run from them like a coward?'_

'That's not true.. I have no control over-'

' _Lies! You have it in you- that power would have make you unstoppable. Even Shen would have no choice but to commend you!'_

'No… Shen would have banished me.. he would rather die than be saved by the same dark arts… that corrupted Zed!'

' _Balance is a fool's master. Fight.'_

'N-no, I can't-'

' _Fight.'_

' _FIGHT!'_

Akali lost herself. Her gaze was fixated onto the Terror of the Void and his burrowing partner. An ire she never knew existed overtook her, staining her eyes from her normal brownish red into a bright, bloody red.

Unbeknownst to her, she summoned her own reflection as shadows around the Void monsters, circling around them, each holding the signature Kamas. A strange darkness engulfed the room, obscuring Akali from vision; only her piercing red eyes were visible.

" _Be gone."_ she spoke with a voice so full of ice and venom and lunged her Kamas towards Cho'Gath and the Void burrower. Right on cue, the shadows started to dance around them, dashing in and out of them, stabbing their bodies with Kamas.

The Void monsters screeched, unable to fight back; the shadows were simply too fast for them. The shadows continued to dance around them, stabbing them. Soon, their blood poured onto the floor. The Void burrower tried to escape by summoning tunnels, but Akali had foreseen this.

" _There is no escape."_ her icy, venomous voice spoke in the darkness. Coldly she stared at the hissing Void burrower for a moment before she swapped places with one of her shadows, thrusting her Kama inside the monster. Red-glowing, dark marks appeared all over the monster as the darkness engulfed it, swirling around as the shadows dashed towards the monster.

A loud shriek sounded as a deep sting penetrated the chest of the Void burrower, causing the monster to disintegrate. All marks exploded, staining the ground with the burrower's blood.

Akali smiled in satisfaction, not noticing that her vision turned blurry; her consciousness slowly drifted away as she felt her strength leave her body. The shadows disappeared, and a wave of ruptures rose from the ground.

She knew: this was the end of her. She grinned fatalistically. She simply wasn't strong enough to fight both of them – her skill was so pitiful compared to… compared to _Zed's_ …

A dark shadow engulfed her, suddenly, carrying her away from the rupture at the last moment, out of the main building of the Kinkou order. Akali felt light-headed, barely conscious, and yet the chilly wind stung against her skin.

Glowing, red eyes stared intensely inside hers. Akali knew she was in someone's arms, but couldn't figure out whose – her vision was still blurry. She narrowed her eyes, trying to make out who was carrying her. And it dawned upon her.

"Z…Zed….."

As soon as these words passed from her lips, her consciousness gave out.

* * *

 **A/N:** So, how do you like it? The idea for this story came from WingsOfRequiem's Zed/Akali story "The Shadow that Watches", where Akali dreamt of a Void invasion.. so in a way, this story is dedicated to him :)

And I apologize if my fights look really sloppy.. I simply have no talent writing fight scenes, but I try my best.

Please leave reviews, as I would like to know what I could improve, and plot ideas are always welcome.

Until next time…


	2. One -「 認めない – D E N I A L 」

**A/N:** I just feel the need to point out that this story **will not entirely follow the canon Lore** of League. I will be introducing some original elements into it as well to make it less fanfiction-y. Just a warning :D

* * *

Zed POV

* * *

 **Chapter One :「** **認めない – denial** **」  
**

* * *

They _denied_ me.

.

They _rejected_ me.

.

 _She_ rejected me.

.

"So why then", I whisper with a growling, sinister undertone, "why have I saved you…"

Though she does not know it, my intense, piercing bright red eyes, cut right through her soul. My fingers, against my will, trace her round, undefined, almost child-like face.

"…..Akali?"

So fragile; so vulnerable. Like a fragile daisy she rests in my embrace. I hold her close to me, feeling her – still warm – face against my outer, chilly, armor garments, brushing aside her messy bangs.

Thunder, roaring like a lion, illuminates the soon-to-be pitifully ruined abode of Shen's once-proud Kinkou Order. _Shen._ I narrow my eyes, scowling quietly to myself. The mere mention of his name is enough to make me snap someone's neck in cold fury.

And _she_ – I look down to the fragile young woman in my arms – was his comrade. Part of the infamous _Kinkou Triumvirate_ , striking all over Ionia in the name of 'balance', ruthlessly assassinating anyone the Elders of Ionia deemed an enemy – as well as those whose techniques they deemed 'forbidden'.

 _Forbidden._ I was put on the same level of those abominable Noxians, who would sell their very souls in exchange for more power. And what do Ionians do to _abominations_ such as myself? They kill them.

I look back to the Kinkou Temple. The fall of the Kinkou Order is supposed to be my victory over its foolish ideals. _Balance is a fool's master. Balance is weakness._ I am supposed to feel vindicated; bringing _Shen's_ order down has been my greatest goal.

So why am I not feeling vindicated?

Why am I not able to relish in my ultimate victory?

And why, above all, has the Kinkou's most fanatic adherent herself turned to the Art of Shadow?

My eyes narrow. From the information that I had gathered through my disciples, Shen had been planning my death by her hands. Poor fool. As if she would stand a chance; she does not have the heart to kill me. She and I – both – know this.

' _I should kill her',_ my mind suggests. It would be so easy, right now, to stain my blades with her blood. To slash her neck – as easy as snapping the stem off a daisy. _'She will be a threat to me',_ my mind tries to convince me.

' _Why did she turn to the Shadow?'_

I hesitate. Even though I hate to admit it, I am curious. She, _Ionia's most ruthless assassin_ , she, who would never stop lecturing her foes about balance, turned to the very Art that I used to kill _Master_. To almost kill Shen. The very Art that made her reject me.

Rejection.

Denial.

Anger courses through my veins. I raise my blades rapidly, staring down at her with cold, furious, murderous, piercing red eyes, preparing myself to end her fragile life. What a hypocrite she was. So long, Akali. Farewell.

' _Why did she do it?'_

I stop myself just before my blade reaches her throat. Curse my curiosity! After years of walking with the shadows, this is the trait I cannot shake off of myself. Why is my curiosity about this little insignificant fact preventing me from killing her?

She is a hypocrite, like all balance fools. When push came to shove, she turned to the 'forbidden' Art. She merely did so out of sheer desperation, her instinct of self-preservation. _Hypocrite._ Her ideals were not important enough for her to die with them – like Shen did.

' _Is it really curiosity?'_ I find myself questioning myself. It is. It has to be. It is mere curiosity. I want to know _why._

"What was your reason….. _Akali_?" Her name holds weight, even after all these years.

"RUN, YOU FOOLS!" a booming voice suddenly snaps me out of my interior monologue, causing my predatory instincts to fire up again. Holding Akali close to me, I rise and assume a fighting stance, scanning the darkness. The voice sounds familiar, but I cannot quite pinpoint its owner.

I stare back at Akali. "Fine… I will indulge in you, for now." I say with a voice so sharp that it could cut even the hardest steel. "Do not get in my way, Akali."

"Have you not heard what I have told you? RUN!" There was the booming voice again. Upon closer inspection, I notice it belongs to a woman. A fierce woman. Her voice definitely holds an air of authority. I hear her shallow breaths and footsteps inching closer. Whatever. I am ready to cut through any intruder without remorse, come who may.

I look up; jumping on a branch, I behold the woman who previously bellowed at me. Ah; now it all makes sense.

"Captain of the Guard, Irelia Lito." I hear my sinister, almost metallic voice call her full name behind my mask. "Why are you alone in the shadows, Will of the Blades?"

I notice her freezing on the spot. "Zed, Master of Shadows…" she breathes out, her voice dazzling with disbelief. "I could ask you the same question." She says, briefly looking down, noticing that I am holding the unconscious Akali in my embrace, to my surprise, not . "Though, I am afraid there is no time for such pettiness right now."

Turning her back to me, she starts jumping from branch to branch at a rapid pace. "Follow me." she beckons loudly after me. As much as I hate doing what I am told, I do need shelter.

My own order is in shambles. These abominable 'Void' creatures consumed all my disciples – and they succumbed like mere rookies. I alone have survived.

I follow the _gracious_ Captain of Ionia's Guard, jumping into the infinite darkness after her.

* * *

"We are there."

After a seemingly eternal journey of jumping on branch after branch, I study my surroundings. I can hear the sounds of waves clashing. The ground under my feet feels soft and dry, yet somewhat muddy. Even the sky above has changed; It is nothing like the dead, murky, shadowy sky that I beheld at the ruins. _This_ night sky is clear and dark. A full moon is shining, its light being reflected by the shimmering sea.

"Why have you brought me here?" I chillingly break the silence between the Captain and me. My voice is hostile, alert, my blades ready to snap her neck should she attack me in any way. The Captain does not move an inch. She simply refuses to respond.

"Answer me, Ire-"

"Akali. She needs help, does she not?"

"And why should I care?" I scoff at her.

"Why are you holding her in your arms?" she retorts, turning her face to me, smirking victoriously. _Outwitted._ I grit my teeth. "You…"

"She needs help." Irelia repeats once more, ignoring my faint loss of composure. She points towards a stony stairway not very far from here, on top of it being a large, scarlet _torii_ gate. "A shrine." I observe.

"Shrine of the star-born, to be exact." Irelia clarifies matter-of-factly, starting to walk towards it. I hesitate for a moment, mustering the area. What would bringing Akali to a shrine possibly accomplish? I shake my head as

"Aahhgh…"

I look down instantly. Akali. Her face contorts into excruciating pain and I feel her fragile fingers latching onto my scarlet garment as she throws her head back in agony, her body shivering and reeling. I grit my teeth. This isn't good. She might actually die at this point.

"Zed, quick!"

I scoff quietly. She does not need to remind me to hasten. What a troublesome woman, that Captain Irelia.

I summon shadows before me, swapping places with every single one of them to reach the stairway faster. Somehow, I did not mind exerting my body in this manner – Akali's survival is of utmost importance right now.

"Zed, wait!" Captain Irelia yells behind me, struggling to keep up with me. I decide to ignore her and continue my way upward, quickly climbing the stairs, fixating my gaze onto the _torii_ gate above. Akali huffs in my arms, clutching me even harder, making me feel uneasy inside – even though I did not show such on the outside.

One thing is undeniably certain: This is not an ordinary fever or even a chill. This must have something to do with her using the Art. I grit my teeth. Foolish Akali; using a power her body is not ready for – or could not even handle.

As I climb the last stair, I behold a rectangular, altar-esque, stony couch. Akali starts to cough harshly, gasping for air. Her face contorts into pain again. She clings to me, whimpering and croaking vulnerably, wailing in agony. I figure speaking would be too painful for her; knowing not what to do, I merely hold her in my arms, staring at her chillingly. Keeping my watchful gaze on her.

"Zed!"

I look behind me and see a rather frustrating-looking Captain Irelia trying to catch her breath, hunching her back and pressing her legs to calm their obvious pain.

"Would it have killed you not to make me climb up so rapidly?" she snapped at me, gritting her teeth in ire.

"It's not my fault that you cannot keep up with me." came my chilling reply.

"Whatever", she shrugs, shaking her head as she pointed towards the stony altar, "Lay her on there."

"What will this accomplish?"

"Do not question me, Zed, we will summon the star-born!"

"Aaaaaahhnghhhhhh.." Akali shrieked sharply, moving her body rapidly.

"Zed, quickly!"

I relinquish her from my embrace, laying her onto the cold, stony altar. Akali is obviously feeling cold; her body is reeling as she struggles to warm it with her hands.

"AaaaaaAAAaaaaghhhh-!"

Irelia and I freeze on the spot. Her eyes spring open, bright red like mine; she arches her back in pain, writhing and thrashing around her as if she was having an inner battle. I narrow my eyes beholding her like this, but they narrow even further when I her sclera turn pitch black. I find myself motionless, only being able to stare at her. What? Why? What has Akali done with the shadows? Or – more importantly – what have the shadows done to Akali?

"Irelia."

She nods and rushes towards the altar, kneeling down and lifting her hands up in the air.

" _I, Irelia Lito of Ionia, call for thy presence, o ye star-born, celestial healers of the heavens! Heed my humble call and descend from thy abode into the realm of us mortals and assist us!"_

I do not know much about the Cult of Stars – I have only faintly heard of it in one of Master's hour-long lectures on the mysticism of Ionia. The Lito family are strong believers in that cult – it is said that their very art, the Hiten style, descended from the heavens itself. I remain stoic; perhaps vanquishing the shadow within her would be the best course of action for Akali; she does not look like she can handle the forbidden power. Perhaps I would also not have to kill her in the future.

A bright, warm light descended from above, illuminating Akali, whose body instantly calmed at the light's presence. A purple-skinned, white-haired woman with goat legs also descends from above, having a single horn adorning her forehead. She is holding a crescent-shaped sceptre loosely in her hand. Gracefully, she lands on her feet and opens her golden eyes, staring at Irelia, then me.

"How can I be of service?" was the very first thing that came from her lips; her solemn, yet soft-spoken voice holds much weight. I recognized who she was; She is Soraka, the Starchild. Esteemed healer of Ionia.

"Soraka", Irelia begins, still struggling to catch her breath, pointing to Akali whose distress must be unimaginable. "There- please, do something-"

"I understand." Soraka simply says softly, turning to Akali. The Starchild lays a hand on Akali's forehead, trying to feel the energy within her, humming soothing sounds in order to calm her.

"GyaaaaaaAAAHH!" Akali shrieks again, pearls of sweat descending from her forehead. "Shen…. Shen… Shen… don't… die….!"

"Shen?" Irelia repeats in surprise, leaning closer.

"The shadows are calling forth her greatest trauma." Soraka's voice sounds heavy and distressed, somewhat morbid, speaking really slow.

"Heal her, please! You use celestial magic, don't you?"

Soraka shakes her head, meeting Irelia's eyes with a profound sadness. "The deed is done. Akali turned to the forbidden power – what she has done, cannot be undone."

"Forbidden- you mean the Art of Shadow?" Soraka nods.

"Gods, why-" Irelia sinks to her knees, only being able to stare at Akali's distress. "Why, Akali-" Her voice starts to tear up. I do not react to this; I had already known that Akali's current state was due to the shadows.

"However", Soraka pipes in, "there is a way to alleviate the pain Akali is in." Her eyes turn to me, staring into mine very seriously.

"Master of Shadows-" she speaks solemnly, "the fate of Akali, hereby, lies in your hands."

 _My hands?_ I am to judge whether Akali will live or die? I curse under my breath. For the first time in my life, I know not what to do.

Do I let her live, and risk having my life ended by her hands – or do I let the shadows claim her life, leaving her reasoning behind turning to them in mystery? I watch her intensely; calling out Shen's name- It angers me. It angers me infinitely to hear _that_ name.

"Zed!"

But Shen is dead. _Shen is dead._ Perhaps I can erase his dreaded influence from her- erase his flawed teachings from her mind-

"Zed, quick!"

The Kinkou Order is no more. Balance is dead.

"ZED!"

I lunge forward, reaching out for Akali's hand, clutching it firmly, infusing my dark energy into her. Her pain courses through my veins, turning everything pitch black.

.

" _Shen, why…"_

 _What is this? Where am I? I look around. I see Akali, clutching Shen's hand firmly as tears stream from her dark-red eyes._

" _I'm…. I'm sorry…. Akali.." What? What is happening- Shen is coughing blood. Coughing blood. Is this…? It has to be._

" _No, Shen, you can't- you can't!"_

" _Akali… I… love…"_

 _Love. LOVE. Pitiful fool. I clench my fists. I thought he could show no emotions as the Eye of Twilight._

 _And then- there it is. Akali's trauma. Her scream pierces my ears, calling forth the very darkness that would torment her._

 _Ah, the darkness. So familiar to me, and yet, now, not so much._

 _Why?_

 _._

"Z-Zed…."

My eyes spring wide open. I look at her, my hand still firmly holding hers. I make haste to remove it quickly before she realizes what is going on.

"Z-Zed… What… where…"

Akali's voice sounds shaky and broken – not like her at all. Ionia's most ruthless assassin? Not right now.

"It appears you are in good spirits, Akali, Fist of Shadow."

She flinches, looking behind her with a frightened stare.

"Calm yourself, Fist of Shadow. I mean you no harm."

"S-Soraka…?" she looks further, "and… Irelia-?"

"Thank goodness, Akali, I have been worried to death about you!" The Captain yells out, making haste to hug her.

"Argh, Irelia, my body-"

"Oh, I am sorry…" she says curtly, "You… you owe your life to… this guy over here." She continues even more curtly, pointing at me.

"Zed… saved me…?"  
"Yes. What were you thinking, turning to the Art of Shadow?"

Akali looks down, averting her gaze from everyone. "So you know, huh?"

"Soraka told me. By all gods, Akali, I thought you had better judgement than this- turning to a power you cannot possibly control-"

"In her current state, at least." I chime in coldly, feeling the need to defend her as well as the Art of Shadow.

"At the very least, she managed to push back the Void's invasion of Ionia for a while, buying us time." Soraka agreed, "This must be the first time they were met with significant resistance."

"Wait, what?" Irelia breathed out, turning to Akali. "Is this true?"

"I… I have no idea. I only heard my inner voice urging me to fight- and I completely blacked out."

"So it is still not ready to be used…" Soraka murmured, turning back to me. "Zed."

"S-Soraka, what-" Akali tries to pipe in, to no avail.

"Zed, you must take Akali with you and leave Ionia this instant. There is no telling when the Void will strike again." The Starchild's voice holds a deadly serious tone, not knowing of the implications of her statement. Or – she does know, but does not care. "If Akali is triggered again- you both may die."

"Soraka, are you serious?" Akali breathes out shakily in ire, her incredulousness being apparent, "H-he… he's my sworn enemy!" She points at me. "Irelia, say something! You're sharpness personified, common sense!"

"Akali…" Irelia gazes at me briefly, then lowers her gaze back to Akali with painful eyes. "I am sorry… but Soraka may be right." Flashing a deadly glare at me before turning back to Akali again, gripping her shoulders she stares deeply inside her terrified eyes, "Listen… Ionia is not safe, especially not for you. I know you- you disdain Zed, but he _did_ save you." Akali instantly looks down. "He… he may not be the ideal… _companion_ , but he is the only one, bar Shen, who is strong enough to protect you right now. You cannot continue by yourself like this, Akali, so listen to me…"

"Shen…" Akali narrows her eyes, gritting her teeth, and looks down. "Shen… he is dead, isn't he..?" I can feel her energy darken again.

"…..Yes, Akali. Unfortunately." Soraka ultimately answers.

"…Tch-!" She punches the concrete altar harshly, not even caring about the pain it would cause her knuckles. " _Damnable creatures…"_ Her small tears stain the concrete as her voice starts to whimper, even now, desperately trying to keep her composure. I frown at her pitiful attempts at showing strength in front of _me_ – she probably thinks I will use her display of weakness against her. Tsk.

She rises abruptly, having her back turned to everyone. "I will kill them."

"…Akali?"

"You heard me. I will kill them. I will slash through them and bathe in their blood. I will tear them into shreds. None of them will survive. None!" Akali's voice becomes darker, chillier and louder with each passing word.  
"A….kali…" Irelia gasped empathetically, averting her gaze.

"Zed." Ignoring the Captain, Akali turns to me once more, flashing her dark red eyes at me with the murderous gaze of a killer. "I want you to teach me _everything_ about the Shadow."

"You do not have the heart to handle such power." I scoff coolly at her, knowing that she is saying this out of desperation to avenge her weakling friend Shen. The shock must be deep, very deep. "You lost yourself after _one use._ "

"Zed – I have made up my mind." She retorts in a low voice, still deadly. "What I have done – cannot be undone. I will do what I must with this power." She stares at her hands in cold fury. "I will tear the Voidborn into shreds."

"Your resolve is pathetically _weak_ , balance fool."

" _Balance is weakness._ " she snaps back at me, not caring about Irelia's shock as soon as she has uttered those words, inching dangerously close to my face, "My weakness – the Order's weakness – killed Shen. I will not allow more innocent people to die because of that _weakness._ If I must turn myself over to the very darkness that corrupted you-" she pauses dramatically, intensifying her gaze,"then so be it."

Akali stares defiantly at me – those eyes, those fiery, rage-tainted, bloodthirsty eyes reveal a lot of pain and hurt inside them. But they also reveal another thing…

"Be careful what you ask for, Akali – that very darkness may, one day, be your undoing."

…tenacity.

"There… there is a ferry that will be leaving for Bilgewater soon." Irelia said hesitatingly after Akali and I returned to the shore again, pointing towards an arriving ship.

"Bilgewater?" Akali repeats, furrowing her brows in confusion. "What would we possibly want in Bilge-"

"In case you have forgotten; Kennen is still in Bandle City. He has no idea what's going on here."

"Kennen…" Akali gasps in surprise as her eyes widen. "Of course – he is still alive." She sighs in relief, clutching her chest. "But wait, why do we have to go to _Bilgewater_?"

"Because going directly to Bandle City by ship would be too dangerous. A furious storm is raging between Bilgewater and Bandle City – it will last for a few days." Irelia moved forward. "So, this is the plan: You and Zed stay in Bilgewater for a few days until the storm blows over. Then you fetch Kennen from Bandle City and get the heck back here."

"And… what about you, Irelia?" Akali asks confused.

"I will stay here in Ionia and try to assemble Yi, Lee Sin, Varus, Wukong and Ahri in order to at least prevent the Void from striking in Ionia again – aaargh, there's no time. Just get back here as soon as possible, okay?"

"Wait, Irelia – I… what about my training?"

"I will take care of this matter, Akali." I say decisively after listening to Akali's petty conversation with Irelia, "As for me, I want to find out who exactly caused this invasion." I stare murderously at my blades, "and when I find the one responsible, I will gruesomely torture him for destroying my order. He will wish to have never been born, that much is guaranteed."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you two say. Now get on that ship!"

The ferry arrives; "Let us go, Akali." I say emotionlessly as she bids Irelia farewell, making sure Akali follows me. The captain of the ship greets us in an uncomfortably jolly tone.

"Captain." I exclaim sternly.

"Aye?" comes the muffy, somewhat drunken response.

"How long is it from the Ionian coast to Bilgewater?"

"Two days, m'Sir." I roll my eyes. That Bilgewater accent already annoys me.

"Fair enough. Akali." She nods, getting onto the ship after me.

"You better get us to Bilgewater safely, Captain…" I whisper threateningly, having appeared behind him in the blink of an eye, pointing my blades at him, "…if you value your own life."

"Erm… of course… m'Sir.." is all that pitiful Captain could say.

An uncertain, shrouded future awaits us – a future where none may exist at all, overrun by tragedy and bathed in blood – ours, or theirs.

.

* * *

 **A/N:** *hides from all Zed mains in case I butchered his character .*


	3. Two:「ただ痛み – only pain (I)」

**A/N:** Thank you so much for reading, everyone! Your support means a lot to me. Seriously. Writing this story is so much fun when you guys react to the chapter and comment :)

Oceanbourne: Yep. Zed and Akali had a past together. He may be a dark character, but darkness doesn't necessarily imply evil. He still has a soft side to him, but it's something he almost never shows.  
As for Akali, well, my inspiration for her fiery, bloodthirsty character came from Eren Jäger. Akali just lost Shen, her order, and possibly even her own country. Kinkou she may be, but even so, she is still human with natural human emotions.  
It's unsurprising that she would turn to Zed, especially when he saves her from demise.

* * *

 **Chapter Two:** 「 **ただ** **痛み** – **only pain (I)** 」

* * *

 _Dedicated to_ _WingsOfRequiem_ _and_ _Oceanbourne for their kind support._

 _ **AKALI  
*****_

Bilgewater.

Bandle City.

 _Kennen._

I open the doors to the room I would be staying in for the next two days; a moderately sized, wooden cabin that reeks of the smell of saltwater, fish and sweat. I am faced with a wooden floor and a torn carpet with holes in it. I scoff silently. It even has dirt. The ferry itself appears rugged and dirty, not cleaned or taken care of for years. How is it still setting sail to Ionia and back to Bilgewater?

I shake my head – I'm getting carried away. I need to remain focused. I have no particular interest in Bilgewater. I have never really travelled outside of Ionia and its isles, not as a child, and not even when I served the Kinkou as the Fist of Shadow. The Kinkou order had primarily concerned itself with Ionia, the exception being the Noxian invasion. But even then, we of the Kinkou conducted our missions in Ionia and never travelled to the rest of Valoran.

Ionia would always insist it is a peaceful nation, not meddling in the city-states' affairs. It has always seemed like a contradiction to me; why would a pacifist nation employ assassins to uphold its ideals? What did the nation have to fear from its own citizens?

"They have always disdained power." I hear Zed's chilly, monotonous, almost robotic voice chime in, as if he knew what I was thinking this very moment, yanking me out of my thoughts as he seats himself next to me. "Their disdain only had one reward: Death. What _fools_." I gaze at him with a tint of fear as his voice becomes chillier and deadlier, emphasizing the word _fools_. He may hide his face with a mask, but his choice of words, as well as his tone tell a different story.

"Just like balance", he continues, "a fool's master." I look down in defeat.

"That is correct." I find myself saying, my voice sounding grim and sorrowful. "As I have come to know." I bite my lip as I say this. Admitting defeat in front of my sworn – well, formerly sworn – enemy poses a great challenge to me. One of the Kinkou's tenets is to never show weakness in front of your enemy, much less admit defeat. To show weakness is to dishonor oneself and the order. It was certainly a harsh discipline – preaching one way, and one way only.

I sigh, catching a glimpse of Zed, my closest and only ally as of now. He has not said anything after I gave him my response. Ever since Shen, Kennen and I have seen him again, after years of his disappearance after destroying the order, Zed now hides his face behind a metallic mask, letting only his piercing, glowing red eyes peek through cut-out holes for his eyes. He covers his head with a scarlet cloth that extends to his back and his shoulders, being covered by pitch-black shoulder armor that is decorated with golden patterns. On his arms he wears two sets of armguards, having holes for his sharp, long pairs of blades, two on each arm, that are as silver as the moonlight outside.

"Akali." I hear him say after an eternity of studying every detail about him with my curious eyes, his voice making me hitch in surprise, "I have decided to begin your training right _now._ "

"Right now? Zed, I haven't had the opportunity to rest-" His sharp blades lunge forward, stopping merely an inch from my neck. My eyes widen in shock, and my instincts urge me to be alarmed. Not even a squeal dares to escape from my lips as Zed's glowing eyes poke holes into my soul in the darkness of the cabin.

"Your enemy _never rests_." his menacing, monotonous voice counters darkly, barely audible, but enough to make me fight the greatest urge to swallow. I have to admit – Zed is very, _very_ skilled at the art of intimidating allies as well as enemies. He is a master predator. His eyes are that of a predator. His voice is that of a predator. _Everything_ about him is of a predator. Didn't I mention that the Kinkou was harsh? Well – here is Zed.

"Look at yourself, Akali. You did not even notice how quickly my blade reached your neck." he continues. I swear his eyes just intensified in color. "If I was an enemy - you would be dead before your mind could even catch up."

Did Zed really think of me as _that weak_? No. I am _not_ weak. Zed is intimidating. He is menacing. I hate to admit it, but it's the truth.

"I know what you're thinking, right in this moment." he says, moving his arm just enough to make his blades poke my neck without cutting my skin. "You are so easy to read, Akali. _Pathetically_ easy. It does not surprise me since Ionia is filled with weaklings – everything about that nation is so weak. Their pacifism is a _disease._ Powerless against any foreign invasion."

"Ionia is not weak!" I hiss back at him, to my surprise, immediately flinching afterwards. I cannot afford to anger this man.

"Then how was _Noxus_ allowed to invade not only the isles, but the mainland as well? Why was Ionia defenseless against the Void, even though they knew of Noxus and Demacia's fate?" he barks darkly at me, "If Ionia is not as weak as you say – then why is Shen, your esteemed _leader_ , now worm food for these abominations?"

I do not respond. I hate it. I hate it when he speaks of Shen. Over and over, like a recording, memories of his death flood my mind; his final struggles against the abominations Cho'Gath and the burrower, my cowardly inability to do anything because of being gripped by an inexplicable fear – fear of showing shadow techniques as well as fear of these monsters themselves, and also – my intense craving for _revenge_. I intensely desire the blood of those responsible for Shen's death to flow like a river, just as their heads are cast before my feet. Their heads will be mine. I will avenge Shen's death, by my honor as a ninja. No innocent death will go un-avenged.

"He was weak. The Kinkou was weak. And they have rendered _you_ weak as well." Zed, nodding in approval, once again being able to read me like a book, puts especially great emphasis on the word _weak_ , as if to program my mind. "In your current state, you will not last a mere five seconds on the battlefield, not even one second."

"So much contempt for the weak, and yet, you saved me, a _weakling._ " I would like to inch closer to his face, to stare in his eyes with the same intensity that he was staring into mine, yet the blades barely touching my neck prevent me from doing so. "Why have you saved me, Zed? Why not just let me die, let me rot like Shen?"

I can feel Zed pause. In the blink of an eye, his gaze also flinches. Barely noticeable, but still there. "Enough meaningless quarrel." he says, ignoring my question, as he relinquishes his blades from my neck, turning his back to me. "Your new master is no fool like your old master, Akali."

I can only ponder the meaning of his words. Perhaps his reason for saving me will be, to my dismay, forever shrouded in mystery, hidden in Zed's eternally dark shadow like the forbidden techniques once were. However, I console myself, even the forbidden arts came to light eventually – nothing stays hidden forever.

* * *

"As someone who walks with the Shadow, you cannot rely on even one of your senses." Zed begins to say as I stand in front of him, gazing into his red eyes once more. Slowly he walks forward, sheathing his blades, pulling out a black cloth that – for some reason – he carried with him. His face and mine are now inches apart, and his predatory gaze, once again, pokes holes into my terrified soul. Gods, he does really scare me.

As if I am a porcelain doll, he cups my chin with his fingers covered by armor garments for a brief moment before he wraps the black cloth around my head, covering my eyes.

"I… I can't see anything."

"That is the point, Akali. Your senses may be used against you by an enemy that cannot be seen."

"What.. what about my Twilight Shroud? I am used to fighting in low sight.." I try to object, but to no avail. Zed simply chuckles.

"I am talking about an enemy that can completely conceal himself from the boundaries of reality – _total invisibility_." I hear a noise behind me, and feel blades on my neck. I flinch in surprise, alarming my senses rapidly.

"In case you are wondering, I summoned a shadow behind you. If you paid attention to your surroundings instead of talking, then you would have evaded by now."

I nod briefly, escaping to the other side of the wall behind Zed, using my signature technique – the Shadow Dance. I am the Fist of Shadow, after all, whether I am part of the Kinkou or not.

Did I outsmart him? I try to tune into my surroundings, checking for a noise, for a sign of Zed's next move. It could not be so easy. It would not be that easy. I am no fool.

"Impressive agility", I hear his chilling voice against my neck, "but you must learn to see with more than just your eyes." As he finishes his sentence, I hear more shadows pop up around me, encircling me, running rapidly around me.

"All of these shadows are fake, illusions. Block my next attack, Akali" I hear him, "if you can."

I hear the shadows dancing around me, their noise being like grass and trees shaken by a powerful gust of wind, accompanied by footsteps that sound like chariots on the ground – it truly feels like I am being outnumbered by multiple enemies, even though Zed just said that these are just shadows. I shudder. Even though this is training, he is making this feel so real, so dreadfully real that you feel a knife could plunge into your throat at any moment.

A weak 'zing' sounds. Shadow shuriken. Not yet, I tell myself. Zed must be a master of deception as well, being able to lure his prey into safety – again, like a master predator. But do predators really play with their prey? I wouldn't think so.

I focus on the sounds of the shadows. Where is Zed? I cannot tell him apart from his shadows.

" _Follow the shadow, don't step in it."_ a painfully familiar voice suddenly springs into my head. I try to catch my breath. Sister…

Why would this thought spring into my head right now? What could sister possibly have meant? 'Follow the shadow' – 'follow the shadow' – 'follow the shadow'… Wait - Could she have- No.. Zed will not hit me. _He will not._

Right on cue, hearing a lunging forward, I feel a…. tap? On my forehead? What is going on? Poof. Something, clearly in front of me, just disappeared after sounding like smoke as Zed touched my forehead.

But wait- Zed didn't have a shadow in front of me, and yet he clearly cut something just now. I feel heavy. Very heavy.

Poof, poof, poof, poof. All of Zed's shadows disappear. In the blink of an eye, he removes the cloth my head.

"Zed…?" I breathe out, furrowing my brows in confusion. "What was that… just now?"

"That, Akali, was your shadow."

* * *

 **A/N:** Bam. Cliffhanger. Akali is clearly talented, as you can see. And yes, Zed is a ruthless and harsh master. Akali will definitely come to know this more as she continues her training. She has a loooong way to go.

Let me know in the reviews what you think of Zed's and Akali's relationship so far. Is it progressing too fast? Too slowly? Just right? How did you like the dialogue? Let me know :3


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